L9 - Darley - Merrimu Gravel Member

This information has been developed from this publication:

Sites of Geological and Geomorphological Significance in the Western Region of Melbourne (1986) by Neville Rosengren

Geological heritage sites, including sites of geomorphological interest and volcanic heritage sites, are under regular revision by the Geological Society of Australia, especially in the assessment of significance and values. Reference should be made to the most recent reports. See the Earth Science Heritage section of the Geological Society of Australia website for details of geological heritage reports, and a bibliography.

Location:	Lerderderg - 758303. Shire of Bacchus Marsh. Road cutting and disused gravel pit beside Bacchus Marsh to Gisborne road, 1.5 km north of Darley.	Darley - Merrimu Gravel Member
Access:	Bacchus Marsh to Gisborne Road.
Ownership:	Crown land and some private land.
Site Description:	The cuttings expose a gravel, dominated by quartz and sandstone clasts, and beds of medium to coarse sand with some thin beds of white and grey clay. The deposits are clearly cross-bedded and show some ferruginisation. They are designated as the Merrimu Gravel Member of the Werribee Formation. This formation is the major non-marine Tertiary sedimentary material of the study area and the Bacchus Marsh area is the site of its most extensive outcrop.
Significance:	Regional. The site is a clear example of a major component of the sedimentary geology of the region and an excellent example of the lithology and structure of a non-marine gravel.
Management:	Class 2. Road maintenance procedures should aim at maintaining the clarity of the section. The coherent nature of the gravels obviates the need for artificially stabilizing the exposure which does not present a road way hazard.
References:	Roberts P (1984)

Site - L9

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